Hen&#39;s nest



H. A. HINDMAN AND G. A. PARSONS.

HENS NEST.

APPLICATION H1 50 JAN.9, 1922.

1,4k36fi39u Patented Nov. 21, 1922,

l5 Fig.1

ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 21, T1922,

HOX/VARD A. HINDMTAN AND GATE A. 1.A.RSONS,

Ltddtldt 01F BELLINGHAJW, 17V ASHINGTO1\T HENS NEST.

Annlication filed January To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, Hoax-inn Hinenan andt-hiii A. Plinson's, citizens the United States, and residents of Bellingham, in the county of Nhatcom and State of ll'ashington. have invented a new and useful Heirs Nest, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to improvements in hens nests, the kind usually called cleanegg nests, and one of the objects of our improvements is to produce a hens nest from which the safely pass to a lower compartment as soon as o viposited; another object of our improvements is to provide a hens nest of the clean-egg type adapted to be constructed of parts which are suited for setting up to form a group of nests of any desired number, and another object of our improvements is to provide a clean-egg hens nest of simple construction and small cost from which the interior parts are easily and quickly removable for purposes of cleaning.

lVe attain these objects with the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying sheet of drawings in which Figure 1 is a plan view of one of our nests showing the adjoining nests of the group as broken away; Fig. 2 is a front elevation of Fig. 1 and Fig. is a side elevation of the Fig. 2 in section on medial, vertical plane.

Similar characters refer to similar parts throughout.

Certain parts are broken away for lack of space or to show other parts hidden thereby.

More particularly: Our nest boxes are built up of continuous bottom and top horizontal partitions 4t, 4t rabbeted to receive the vertical partitions 5, 5. Over the back of all is fastened back board 6. Continuous strips 7, 7 are each fastened to the front flush with the bottom of one of horizontals l and extend upward beyond the upper surface of the same. To each of said strips 7 are fastened, with hinges 11, 11, doors 10, 10, each of which closes on the front of the lower half of each of the nest boxes. Said doors are retained in a closed position by buttons 12, each of which serves two of said doors and is pivoted to the front edge of a, 1922. Serial No. 528,017.

one of partitions 5 and releases each of said doors one at a time when turned to register with one of notches 13.

Above door 10 is mounted front 8 on each nest box revoluble on hinge pins 1%, M, through partitions 5, 5. Front 8 has an opening a through which the hen may enter and leave the nest. A. foot board 9 is fastened along the bottom of each front 8 and bears against the front of partitions 5 when closed, thus said front is movable outwardly only around pins 1d, and it is normally closed by the overhanging weight of foot board 9.

Each nest box is divided into an upper or nest compartment, a middle compartment, and lower or egg compartment by nest bot tom 15 and hopper 22. Nest bottom 15 is of rectangular shape large enough to completely separate the nest and middle compartments and engages in saw kerfs in partitions 5, 5 as a slide. Said nest bottom is coniform with a central hole 16 through which the eggs pass downward. A. lever 17 is pivoted on horizontal pin 18 for oscillation about the same. Pin 18 is mounted in bracket 19 which is fastened to the bottom of nest bottom 15 near its front and is pendant from the same. A hollow. hemispherical flanged body 21 is fastened to the inner end of lever 1'? on its upper side to normally stand in hole 16 with its flange closing said hole from below. The upper surface of 21 is painted white and it serves the purpose of a nest The front end of lever 17 is weighted by counterbalance 20 heavy enough to maintain 21 in its closing position against a small force only.

Hopper 22 is of rectangular shape large enough to completely separate the middle from the egg compartment, is of same form as nest bottom 15 and has a similar central hole 23 for the passage of eggs. It is covered on its upper surface with a paper felt 24. It engages as a slide in saw kerfs in partitions 5, 5. A spring wire 25 hasan eye in one end which is fastened with a screw to the upper side of each box bottom at its front and in a medial position. It slightly inclines upward toward the rear and on it is placed a sheet of strawboard 26, or a Wire cloth on a frame..

" them from the saw kerfs in -mounted.

in operation: The hen enters through opening a and is attracted by nest egg 21.. When entirely within the nest she turns to face said opening. When the egg is oviposited it falls in the rear part of the coniform nest bottom and rolls forward and downward till it reaches nest egg 21 which it. strikes on its rear side. The weight of the egg bears heavily enough 'on said nest egg to over-balance over-counter-weight and depresses said nest egg till room is afforded to allow the egg to pass downward through hole 16 while slightly forced rearward by the over balanced nest egg. Thence the newlylaid egg rolls to the center of the felt covered hopper 22 and passes downward throughcentral hole 23 in the same and drops centrally on spring-supported straw board 26 and slowly rolls forward to come to rest against the inside of strip 7 at 27. Hopper 22 is so close beneath nest bottom 15 that the eggs are caught on the paper felt covering of said hopper without injury, and they fall on the spring-supported straw board 26 without injury, and roll forward to be stopped by front strip 7 or another egg lying against the same. On opening door 10 the eggs lying on board 26 forward in the egg chamber are easily removed.

When hopper 22 is used, as shown, bracket 19 may be located at the rear or on either side of nest bottom 15, as desired. But when it is desired to not use said hopper our nest operates very well, if the said bracket is placed as illustrated, since the rearward shove given the falling egg by the overbalanced nest egg causes it to strike straw board 26 well to the rear of the compartment and prevents it from falling on the eggs accumulated in the front of said compartment.

l/Vhen it is desired to clean our nests, nest bottom 15 with the movable nest egg, and hopper 22 are removed by withdrawing which they are Board 26 is removed and, if desired, spring wire can also be removed by first taking out the screw which fastens it. Then the box is accessible for cleaning as well as the parts removed therefrom.

Having thus disclosed our invention, what we claim is new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is,

1. In combination, a group of nest boxes comprising a back, continuous horizontal partitions fastened to said back at spaced intervals, spaced vertical partitions matched with said horizontal partitions and a separate hinged front for each of said group of boxes with an opening therein; a concave nest bottom having a central hole therein engaged in the upper part of each of said boxes; a nest egg mounted on a lever and adapted to close said nest-bottom hole from below; a pivoted levermounting said nest egg on one end and an over-counterweight on its other end mounted for oscillation on a bracket fastened to said nest bottom and pendant beneath the same; a removable stationary hopper engaged in each of said nest boxes beneath the nest bottom therein and having a central hole, and a spring-supported false bottom beneath said hopper in each of said boxes inclined downwardly toward the front of the same.

2. in combination, a group of nest boxes consisting of a back, spaced continuous horiaontal partitions. fastened to said back,

spaced vertical partitions matched with said horizontal partitions and a separate hinged front on each of the nest boxes of said group with an opening therein; a concave nest bottom having a central hole therein engaged in each of said boxes; a nest egg mounted on a fulcrumed lever and adapted to close said nest-bottom hole from below; a pivoted lever having said nest egg mounted on one end and an over-counterbalance on its other end mounted for oscillation on a bracket fastened to and beneath said nest bottom near its front, and a spring-supported false bottom beneath said. nest bottom inclined downwardly toward the front of said box.

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